Color and additives maker REPI reports record sales

Officials of Italian color and additive concentrate maker REPI SpA report that 2012 was its third straight record year.

They are predicting 8 percent growth in 2013, even though the Italian economic outlook is pessimistic.

“Our growth is basically generated by our export business and therefore is mostly independent from national economic fluctuation,” said Michael Rath, polyurethanes managing director at the company in Lonate Ceppino, Italy. “We all know that our targets are very ambitious considering the current economic conditions. The polyurethane market is growing much faster in Asia than in Europe. Nevertheless, we are very confident that we can gain additional PU customers in Europe with new products.”

REPI opened a U.S. manufacturing plant in Dallas, N.C., in 2012, operated a REPI LLC. That plant, which serves North and South America, boosted turnover for the Americas by 20 percent in 2012, over the level of 2011, with a similar growth rate forecast for 2013.

REPI plans to add 10 to 15 new employees in 2013. That will bring the total to more than 100 people.